The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 6: Mount of Transfiguration

Episode Date: April 14, 2019

God does not reveal Himself to us so that we can sit and soak it up on the mountain top, but so that we can be sent and serve on mission. QUESTION: What is more important... the mission of God or the Glory of God? ANSWER: The mission of God IS the Glory of God.

Amen. Hey, if you've got your Bibles, we're going to be in Matthew chapter 17 and Mark 9. It's the same event from kind of two different perspectives. We're going to start up on the mountain. We're going to end up in the valley. It's going to start out. Super fun. But just if you're new here, if you ever see this little anointing oil sitting on the table, then buckle up Buttercup because you're in for a doozy. That's what this means. Okay? So in about 40 minutes we'll be casting out demons, like for real. So here we go. All right. The Charismatics are like, it's about time. all right? Baptist, hang in there. You'd be all right. All right. We're going to be in the book.

We're going to do it by the book. So here we go. Matthew chapter 17. We're going to talk about the mountain of Transfiguration. It starts out this way. And after six days, Jesus took with him, Peter, James, and John. Now, real quick, you know why six days? Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience. Matthew wants his audience to understand that Jesus is the greater Moses. And God came to Moses and said, I'm going to meet you on a mountain. And guess how many days it took Moses to be prepared to go up on the mountain. Ready? You're so smart. Look at you, theologians. You're doing good. After six days, Jesus took with him, Peter, James, and John. Now, I've talked about this a bunch, but pretend like I hadn't, okay? I know that some of you look at this, and you say, well, that's not fair. Jesus always picks

Peter, James, and John to go do the cool stuff with him. I mean, at one point, this little girl dies, and Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, he goes into the house and breathes new life, into the girl. life. At the Garden of Gassimony, Jesus says, hey, disciples, y'all wait right there, except Peter, James and John, you come with me, and I know that some of you're like, well, that's not fair. Why do those three get to do all the cool stuff? What about the rest of them? I mean, there's 12 of them, right? You could do like groups of four and run through like a three-team rotation or maybe kind of a March Madness bracket or whatever it is. You should write this down, especially if you're millennial and younger. Fairness is not a biblical value. God does what he

with who he wants when he wants because he's the sovereign king of the universe. Now, it says after six days he takes Peter James and John, his brother, and he let him up on a high mountain by themselves. Now, theologians will talk about why he continues to use this little inner circle of three. And most people will say, well, those were his favorite. Those are the ones that he loved the most. They were the earliest disciples. They displayed the most faith. And I'm just going to go on record.

I disagree. Now, I know some of you're like, no, no, no, no, no. The Bible says that John is the one that Jesus loves, written by John in the book of John. I know it's the inerent, infallible word of God, but it's just man code. You don't get to give yourself your own nickname, okay? I'm sure when they all got to heaven, doubting Thomas is like, I got the short end of the straw on this one, okay? You see, what I think it is, I did 15 years of student ministry. Here's what I believe is happening.

Jesus is like, all right, you boys stay here by the campfire and write worship songs or whatever you're going to do. I've got some work to do with the Father. I'm going up on the mountain in my glory. It's going to be kind of awesome. You guys stay here. I think Peter, James and John, we're like, sweet. They had some M80s from Tijuana or something, okay? And then he looks at him.

He's like, hold on, I don't trust you three alone. Peter, James, and John, get in the truck. We're going. Now, here's why I say this. Peter is going to screw up in this chapter. In the previous chapter, Peter has already been called Satan, and by the time you get to Matthew chapter 20, after Jesus casts out a demon, declares the gospel, transfigures himself, then James and John are going to get their mom to go get Jesus to try to make them senior VP over Israel. These are the biggest screw-ups of the bunch. So listen, man, if you're kind of jacked up in your discipleship, I got really good news for you.

God might use you to change the world. Like he did these cracker jacks and like he did this redneck from Dylan, South Carolina. There is hope for us all. And so he gets these three, he goes, come with me, boys, verse two. And he was transfigured before them. I don't even know exactly all that this means. It's a metaphysical term, meaning that something happened. He was still recognizable, but something happened.

that made him almost unrecognizable. So the closest thing I could think of, and I know I've got some of my brethren over here in the second row, is tomorrow morning I will be in the turkey woods, okay? And I'll be calling to a gobbler, and out of the woods can pop a gobbler. And here's what a gobbler looks like, okay? It'll come, that's what it looks like.

And then in the spring, if you make the right call and he sees the right girl, like a lot of dudes, he will be transfigured into this. Same bird. Okay, regular gobbler, see? This is just normal. And then transfigured. Glory to God. Do you feel it?

And then there's a loud noise and you get to eat. Okay, so my friend Chris Brown, not the recording artist that goes to jail a lot, but there's a pastor. He's a friend named Chris Brown, so unfortunate for him. He's a pastor in South Dakota. San Diego, very different places. San Diego.

And he says this about the transfiguration. He says his divinity is bursting forth through his humanity. He says that the miracle is not that Jesus was transfigured on the mountain. The miracle is not that Peter James and John could see his glory. The real miracle is that the divinity was shrouded in humanity for 33 years. And the real miracle here is that Jesus was that Jesus, walked among us that the word became flesh and people could hang out with him. And on the mountain of transfiguration, what God is doing here is he's pressing pauls

on the miracle and allowing his divinity to burst forth. And he was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. You see, Matthew is just, he's like searching for language to try to describe what was happening on the mountain. In fact, in the Gospel of Luke, Luke would describe it as Jesus' face is transfigured, it's transformed, and his clothes became like lightning. Now, Mark, Mark is always the most like direct and to the point.

In the Gospel of Mark, same event, Mark says this way in chapter 9, verse 3, he says, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. Kind of understated, don't you think? I don't know if this is how it works, but in my mind, I can just imagine Matthew and Mark and Luke in heaven. Like comparing notes. They're like, hey, dude, remember the transfiguration? And Matthew was like, totally. And Luke is like, Matt, what did you get for that?

He goes, I was trying to think of the brightest, most amazing thing I could in all of the solar system. And I just imagine, like, what if it was like the sun was on the inside of Jesus? and sunbeams are bursting forth through his face. Luke, what did you get? And Luke was like, you ever like walking along at night and your eyes are adjusted to the darkness? And out of nowhere, there's, boom, a big clap of thunder and bright lightning where you can hardly see it.

Mark, what about you? I put chlorox. So I think if we look at all three accounts together, something amazing is going on. Now, Mark is on to something here. because these bright white clothes, I think they matter. You see, I think maybe what's happening is if you back up one chapter into Matthew Chapter 16, Jesus has just affirmed Peter's declaration that Jesus is the Christ,

the son of the living God. And then Jesus lays out the gospel. I'm going to be handed over to the scribes, to the chief priest, to the Pharisees. I'm going to be crucified, dead, and buried. And on the third day, I will resurrect. And the white clothes matter because on the day of resurrection, when the disciples show up, they see these angels who are in white robes brighter than lightning is what the Bible says. And if you get all the way into the end of the book, to the book of Revelation, John has this revelation of the glorified Jesus. And when John sees the glorified Jesus, again, these are fishing buddies.

John camped with Jesus for three years. but when John gets a vision of what Jesus looks like in his glory, he doesn't walk up to him and give him the man hug and be like, what's up, bro, you're my homeboy. That's not what happens at all. That when he sees Jesus in his glory, he falls down on his face as if he is dead. I think what Jesus is doing after he has declared the gospel in Matthew chapter 16,

he is demonstrated in the gospel in Matthew chapter 17, saying, my story does not end at the cross. It goes all the way to the resurrection. direction to glory and to my return, that his clothes are like lightning. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Now here's the thing. As 21st century evangelicals, when I read that Moses and Elijah appear on the mountain, you just stare at me as if you're dazing off.

No problem. What's new? but if you were a first century Jewish boy or girl, the moment that you were to read or to hear that Moses and Elijah showed up on the mountain with Jesus, you'd be like, what? I mean, Moses and Elijah are like the two primary heroes, superheroes in the old covenant. Moses has been dead for 1,400 years. Elijah who's been dead for 900 years. And Elijah didn't even die. He just stepped from here to heaven, caught up in a whirlwind or something, all right?

And now they have shone up and they're talking to Jesus. And these three Jewish boys, Peter, James, and John, they are looking at this and they're blown away. And here's why. Moses represents the law. And Elijah represents the prophets. In fact, standing there on the mountain is the law and the prophets bearing witness to the Messiah, to the gospel. It is the personification of the very scriptures happening on the mountain of transfiguration. This should blow your hair back if you still have any. In fact,

Paul will say it this way in Romans chapter 3. He says, after he says, no one will declare themselves righteous by works of the law. Then he goes on to say, but the law and the prophets bear witness to a righteousness manifested apart from the law. This is what's happening on the mountain of transfiguration. The law and the prophets are bearing witness to Jesus who would fulfill every law in the scriptures and fulfill every prophecy in the scriptures. And they're having a conversation there.

And Luke tells us that what they're talking about is Jesus' return. So there's the transfigured sunbeam-faced Jesus talking to Moses. I mean, imagine if you're Peter and you're standing there and all of a sudden up pops a figure, just, I don't know how it happens, but you've got to think about this stuff.

Just out of nowhere, there's a guy with a staff and a beard and tablets, and you're like, Moses. And then another guy with like a staff and a beard and like a name tag that says Elijah, I don't know what he would do. Fire from heaven, I don't know, okay? And there they are, and you're like,

are you serious? The law and the prophets are bearing witness to the righteousness manifested apart from the law and the prophets. This is a really, really, really big deal. And you've heard me talk about this before, but in verse four, and Peter said, well, of course he did. And Peter said to Jesus, it is good that we are here.

All right, hold on, let me just give you, you might want to jot this down. If you ever find yourself in a place where you see the glorified Christ and Moses, and Elijah discussing the gospel amongst themselves, maybe it ain't about you. Maybe that's not the time for you to just speak up and say something. Which, by the way, have you ever found yourself in a place

and you open your mouth and as you're saying stuff, you're like, oh no, I should really stop talking. I was sitting here in this meeting, quiet, and people assumed that I was dumb, and now have opened my mouth and I've taken away all doubt. Have anybody ever been there, ever, ever, ever? See, I think in that moment, then Jesus and Moses and Elijah, they look at Peter and they're like, are you even being serious right now? I think Peter realizes, and he's like, ooh, I have said something dumb.

I know how to fix it. I should keep talking. Husbands, it never works. Ever, ever. I know you think it does, but it never. works and so they look at him and so he just keeps I'll fix it with more words and then he goes well if you wish I can make three tense here one for you one for Mo one for Eli that's what he says in fact Mark records it this way he says that Peter says rabbi is good that we are here let us make

three tents one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah for he did not know what to say for they were terrified when you don't know what to say don't And listen, man, Christians are notorious for saying the dumbest stuff at the worst times. When you don't know what to say, just don't. And if you ever find yourself qualifying what you have said with the phrase, I'm just saying, then you probably shouldn't. That's how that goes. Now, there's a couple of reasons I think Peter's out of line. One, it's not about him.

Why in the world he'd be bringing up anything? There could be the fact that he's trying to put Jesus on the same level with Moses and Elijah. and I think a part of what's happening is Jesus is looking at him, the father's going to show up here in a second and they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. They're not roommates. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He is the son of God, part of the Godhead. That he was in the beginning, all things are created by him, for him, and through him, and to him,

and he don't just room with each other guys. The law and the prophets are attesting to his divinity. That's a part of it. But also, I think there's a part of maybe what Peter is doing that's well-intentioned. You see, Peter is thinking, we have arrived. I mean, it doesn't get any better than this. I'm in the very presence of the glorified Jesus. Why don't we just stay here forever and ever and ever?

Forget the rest of those guys down there at the bottom of the mountain. I don't know what they're doing, but maybe when they're dead, they can come join us. but why don't we just stay here? Have you ever had that kind of worship experience where you felt the manifest presence of God in an emotive way that you, it's almost hard to put into word? Do you ever been there? Like on a mission trip?

Like alone with the scriptures? Sometimes, listen, oftentimes, oftentimes it happens in our Sunday morning gatherings. At least it does for me. And I'm going to tell you, I'm addicted to this. that moment, man. I am addicted to that moment. And God has blessed us with some amazing worship pastors and leaders that sing songs and lift us up and we get together. And the more hand raising you are, the more forward you sit, which helps me a lot. And you just kind of get in here. People seeking

after Jesus and we're singing songs to Jesus and we're preaching the word and you get all that stirred up. And I don't know if it's happened to you, but oftentimes it happens to me where I'm just, I'm singing with my eyes closed or praying with my eyes closed and I feel like if I just open them real quick, boom, I can see the face of God. You ever been there before? I know some of you're addicted to it. You go to every service we have. And you get in here and you get all stirred up and you're like, it is good that we are here. We should get a cot. We should just stay here every year during saturated. You're like, we should do like 17 days saturated. We really shouldn't. But I understand what you mean. you see the only problem is Jesus doesn't stay up on the mountain.

Now it's important, man. It matters like crazy. It matters. A conversation that Pastor Michael Olson and I will have often, where we used to have it often, is he would say, what's more important, the mission of God or the glory of God? And he would feel this tension from some churches that he worked at that felt like they put the glory of God on the back burner for the sake of the mission of God. To which I would reply to him, brother, the mission of God is the glory of God. those things are not to be divided.

We are to gather together in the presence of God, and there's just something unique about the presence of God when the saints gather to make much of his name. That's what he promises. And we get up on the mountaintop to be so filled, to be so fueled by the presence of God that when we walk into the valleys of our everyday life, then what God poured into us here together,

we pour out onto others, that we come face to face with Jesus in ministering to the least of these. It is not either or. You come in here and you worship your face off with the saints so that you can go out and you can serve for the sake of our Savior. And so Jesus essentially is like, hold on man, that's not the point. Now listen, I've read this a thousand times. This week I saw this for the very first time in verse 5.

Verse 5, Peter. He was still speaking. Like he just won't stop. No, seriously, I can make tents, like cool ones. I could put like a canopy on it. We do like a rain guard. We get different colors. Mo, what's your favorite color?

I could do one for you. Come on, guys, get my back. No, see it. Where are you going? Like, he just won't stop. And he was still speaking when behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.

By the way, the father showed up and said this at Jesus' baptism. And then he ends it with this. Listen to him. That's Hebrew for shut up and quit talking. Which, by the way, it's really hard to listen, especially to God when you're doing all the talking. It's almost impossible to simultaneously talk and listen. And Peter's just running off at the mouth and maybe it's his time to shut up and listen. tell you how many times I've been with people in groups and we say hey man we need direction we need a word from the Lord we need to pray amen and then we pray and we do all the talking and zero of the listening and maybe a significant part of our prayer life should be listening to what God has to say to you instead of informing him on the circumstances that you find yourself in you know how dumb we

when we pray, God, I just want to pray about this situation. I'm not sure if you know, but here's what's happening in the market right now. He's like, I kind of know. Maybe if you quit talking the whole time, I would tell you what you should do and how you should respond. And so when the disciples heard this, they fell on their face and they were afraid. You know what they were afraid? You see, they grew up studying the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. They had them all memorized, word for word. And one of the most significant events in all of the Old Testament was when Moses went up on a mountain. We studied this a few weeks ago.

When Moses goes up on the mountain of Mount Sinai, and God, he comes down in the form of a cloud on the mountain, and Moses takes up three named people. And in this event, I think Peter, James, and John are looking around to be like, uh-oh, there's our leader, we're up on the mountain, here's the cloud, and there's three of us. I think we're dead. Because at Mount Sinai, in the old covenant, God says,

unless I invite you to come up here, you better not come up here. You better not even get close enough to the mountain. If you, like, bump into the mountain. You or your kid or your goat or anybody, your dog, I will burn you up because you can't handle my glory. And Peter and James and John are looking around and listen, man, Peter knows he screwed this thing up. In the last chapter, Jesus called him Satan. Get behind me, Satan. So he's thinking, uh-oh, we're dead men.

that the wrath and the glory of God is going to kill us. And so they fall down on their faces because they were terrified. Verse 7, but Jesus. You see, it's a new day. There's an old covenant. There's a new covenant. The old covenant's a covenant of law. The new covenant is a covenant of grace.

God never changes, but our understanding of him is radically different because of the person and work of Jesus Christ. It says, but Jesus came and touched them saying, rise and have no fear. You see, the Bible says that perfect love drives out fear. And Jesus perfectly loved us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You see, in Christ, the new covenant understanding of the fear of God is radically different than the old covenant fear of God.

Yes, there is this reverence. Yes, there's this understanding that he is the cosmic king. of the universe. But in Christ, we understand him as our dad. Listen, man, my kids have access to me in a way that you will never have access to me. Reagan Capri jumps on the couch, puts one leg over my leg, and rubs my head. If you do that to me, we will tase you, man. We will. You'll be in the news. You don't touch me like that. But my little girl, and 189 times in the Gospels, Jesus calls the sovereign judge of the universe, father. And so they are laying on their face.

They're afraid. They think they are going to die. And Jesus comes over and puts his hand on them and says, rise and have no fear. Why? Because God's going to demonstrate that he loves you through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this is love.

Not that we love God, but he loved us. and sent us his son as a propitiation for our sin. He sent Jesus that when Jesus was on the cross, Jesus would be the payment that satisfies the wrath of God, that satisfies the judgment of God, that satisfies the law of God, and that God would make Him who was allowed sin to be sin for us, that we would be made the righteousness of God.

So listen to me, for anyone who is in Christ, God is not disappointed in you. He is not dissatisfied in you. Because if Christ is in you, he was the full payment that satisfies. So God delights over his children. Yes, even you. This means that your sin doesn't define you. Your past doesn't define you. Your mistakes don't define you. Your habits don't define you. That Jesus defines you. And that you and I are children before our heavenly father and that you and I can come face to face with God because of what Christ has done for us. A.W. Tozer says, the most important thing about you is what you think when you think about God. When you think about God, I need you to think that this is love, not that we loved him, but he loved us and sent his son as a payment that satisfies.

Therefore, if I am in him, then he is not dissatisfied in me. And when they lifted their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus. Listen, when you're afraid, you look only to Jesus. He's the only one that can cast out fear. And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, tell no one this vision until the son of man is raised from the dead. In other words, boys, you might want to keep this to yourself until I pull off Easter

because I don't think they'll believe you, okay? So that's going to happen next week, so we only got to keep you to ourselves for a week. I want you to flip over to Mark chapter 9. Mark chapter 9 is the same event, some different details. And again, if you're new to Bible study, It's basically like if you're watching ESPN and then you flip over to Fox Sports, it's the same game, the same events, but different channels decide to highlight different things. And so Mark is going to highlight what happens next. Now, what's happening here is Jesus and the disciples are walking down the mountain into the valley.

Let me just give you a warning here. that sometimes right on the heels of your most intense spiritual encounters with the Lord, those high holy moments, those mountain-top experiences. Whether it's here at a service or it's this awesome time in your disciple group or it's this incredible experience at family camp or you go on a mission trip and you just feel so close to God all throughout the scriptures, often the very next event happens is down in the valley. Jesus is baptized in the Jordan, the heaven split open.

God the Father says, this is my son, in whom I am well pleased, and immediately after that, he is in the desert being tempted by the enemy. Sound familiar? And so they're walking down the mountain. As they're walking down the mountain, Jesus is essentially just going over the gospel within, the life, death, and resurrection of himself. You get to Mark chapter 14, and this is what they walk into. And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them and scribes arguing with them.

And immediately, all the crowd, when they saw Jesus, were greatly amazed and they ran up to him and they greeted him. And he asked him, what are you arguing about with them? And notice, the scribes don't answer and the disciples don't answer. This is like when you hear your kids fighting and you walk in the bedroom, but like, what are y'all fighting about? And they're like, nothing. We were sharing prayer requests. No, we're not. Okay, that's what's going on here.

And someone from the crowd answers, this is the dad. Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams, and he grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. And so I ask your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able. The way Matthew records it is that this dad comes forward. and he falls down on his face before Jesus. And he says, Rabbi, teacher, I brought my son to you to be healed.

And the disciples could not do it. Now listen, if you've been around Bible study for a really long time, man, you already know how the story is going to end. And in fact, I don't even like to use the word story when I describe the events of the Old and New Testament. Because when you hear the word story, like Bible story, Some of you think like flannel graph or veggie tails or a long time ago when I land far, far away. This is not a story.

This is an event. Like this dad has a name. I don't know what his name is. Like his friends called him my name. He had an address. He had a job. He got up every day. And he finds himself in this place of utter desperation.

Because his son is sick. His son is sick. And listen to me, there ain't no pain like kid pain. There just ain't no pain like kid pain. And at some point, his kid gets sick. And I'm sure he's trying to do everything he can think of. What would you do if your kid was sick? When you do whatever it takes?

You'd sell the house. You'd sell the cars. You'd do whatever it takes. And now he hears that the miracle worker is going to show up in town. And he's heard rumors that there was a little girl. They're not sure. Was she dead? Was she asleep?

I don't know. The rumors are going all around. But he breathed new life into her and she came back. He's heard that he can walk on water. He can feed thousands of people with almost nothing. He can make the wind and the waves stop. Maybe he can do something for my boy. Don't think Bible story.

Think dad with his son. I'm telling you, man. It's crazy. When J.P. was born. All kind of emotions. All kind of emotions. The happiest day of my whole life was the day I found out we were having a boy. We were in that little room.

They put that little on my wife's belly. It's a boy. And I was like, you dang right it is. And I hugged that lady, called my daddy. Daddy, I made a boy. He's like, I knew you had it in you, son. That's what I said. That little thing was born.

It ain't beautiful, by the way. They lie about that part. It was terrible. But wrap up that little burrito and hand it to you. give with a little head sticking out. It looked like Hulk Hogan. That's what he looked like. I had a skullet.

You know what a skullet is? Balled up here, mullet in the back. I was like, you can take the boy out of Dylan. Look at him. And listen, man, I love my wife. I love her. I love her. If I talk about her too much, sit over there, I'll cry.

That's how I do. I'm getting soft in my old age or something. But something different was in here for this thing. I named him after me. I named him me. He's the fourth. I'm the third. I was almost junior, junior.

That happens where I'm from. All right. We're into us at my house. And all the love I had to give, I gave to that little human. And then you have a second one, Reagan Capri. And you ask this, you won't ask this out loud because it sounds terrible, but you begin to think, can I love the second one like I love the first one? And it's then when you realize that love is an inexhaustible resource because love is from God.

And so I gave all the love that I had. I gave it all to my son. And then when I'm holding Reagan Capri, this precious little daughter. And I looked at her and I simultaneously thought, I would die for you. And I would make someone die for you. That's not like a joke, okay? And I still had as much love to give her as I had given to my son. Man, we've had a little hiccup here and there, you know, a little broken arm, you know, a little sick, that kind of thing.

but not like this. Not like this. And this dad, this dad is utterly desperate for God to do something. I mean, he's at this place in his life where he's like, Jesus, if you don't come through, I don't know what I'm going to do. The Bible says, hope deferred makes the heart sick. I think I'd rather have a sick body than a sick heart. This man has tried everything, everywhere, and now, finally, he finds the disciples of Jesus,

and when he gets his boy to them, they get in this denominational argument between them and the religious leaders about what the ministry of Jesus, and nothing's happening to his boy. And then Jesus comes down the mountain with Peter, James, and John, and the dad just speaks up, and he's like, Jesus, I need help. I need your help. I need you to do for me what I have not been able to do. I'm telling you, no pain like kid pain. And so the dad answers,

Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he is a spirit that makes him mute, and whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and he grinds his teeth, and he becomes rigid, so I ask your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able. Verse 19, and he answered them.

He's not talking to the dad here. He's talking to the disciples. Oh, faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me. You see, the disciples are trying to operate apart from the power of Jesus. They're just trying to maybe mimic some of the things that they've seen him do instead of lean into the power of Jesus himself.

And they brought the boy to him, and when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground, and he rolled about foaming at the mouth. By the way, in the Bible, the demonic are always the first to recognize Jesus, and the religious are the last. Let that rattle around for a second. The reason that the demons recognize Jesus is because they see him for who he is, and they quake.

And the reason that the religious can't see him is because he doesn't fit into the construct that they have created for him to fit into. It happens at churches all the time. You mean those people go to this church? You see, the number one question that the religious people ask Jesus is, what are you hanging out with those people for? And he says, because I came to seek and save that which was lost. You understand that this place is a hospital. It ain't a country club.

If it's a little bit grimy around here, it's because we want to be like Jesus. The people that are farthest from God that need him the most, we want to display him for who he actually is. So the religious people are mouthing off. and the demons are quaking. And so Jesus asked his father, how long has this been happening to him? And he said, from childhood, this is important. There are Greek words that he could have said from birth. He didn't say from birth.

He says from childhood. In other words, him and his mama come home from the hospital. It wasn't exactly that bad. But they've got this little boy and everything seems to be going fine. For years, everything's going okay. And then one day something's wrong. He starts to get sick. This is not the plans they have.

and they start praying and they start begging God and it gets worse it doesn't get better and he goes on to say and it has often cast him into the fire and into the water to destroy him because that's what demons do they the enemy wants to steal kill kill and destroy everything good that God has for you and the good that God has for you is himself and listen everywhere this family went there was fire and water every meal was cooked around a campfire and they live on the edge of the sea of galilee this means every step of this boy's life the enemy is trying to take him away from this day and look at the words of this dad but if you can do anything have compassion on us and help us not just help my son.

And this is impacting and affecting the entire family. And there's a big if here. But if, notice he does not say you owe me anything. But Jesus, would you look at us and have compassion? Not because we deserve it. Not because we've done anything right. But would you just be so moved that you would do something that I have not been able to do? And Jesus says to him, if you can.

All things are possible for the one who believes. And then this dad, verse 24, immediately the father of the child cried out and said, look, he did not whisper this. Immediately the dad cried out, screamed out, wailed out. And he said, I believe. Help my unbelief. Anybody ever been there? Anybody ever been there?

Everybody ever been in that spot of utter desperation? Look, man, I've been in the hospital rooms with you and your baby's in the bed. And I am crying out with everything I am made of. God, I need you to come through. Come on, God. Do this thing. Just step. I believe.

I believe. You brought life. You give breath. You heal. You bring sight to the blind. The lame walk. You can do it. I know if the tomb is empty, anything is possible, God.

Come on, I believe. And then there are times I walk. in here and my unbelief is a lot more than my belief. I got like this little itty, bitty, tiny belief. Listen, man, if you're looking for a church where the pastor's got it all together, you're in the absolute wrong place. I'm the most jacked up one in the room, which is why I need Jesus today as much as I've ever needed him in my entire life, because I believe, but I need him to help me with my unbelief. You've been praying for 20 years that God would save your dad and hadn't happened.

You went back to the doctor and you thought the cancer was gone and it's back. You got a prodigal son, a prodigal daughter, man. You raised them in church. You raised them in Sunday school. They've been to 100 VBSs. They prayed to prayer when they were 11. You baptized them. And now they're running from God.

They're destroying not just themselves. They're destroying your entire family. Your marriage is broken. You see 100 million testimony videos on our screen. about how God has put a marriage back together and you're begging God to do a thing in your husband's life and he just hasn't done it yet and you want to believe so much man

and we come in here and we say you are good you are good and you don't want to admit this but deep down in your soul there are some places we're like are you are you ever been there you know what Jesus does not do to this man when he says, I believe, help me overcome my unbelief?

The Bible does not say, and Jesus took his pinky finger, inflict him into the center of the sun so that he would burn forever. No. Jesus doesn't say, away from me, you wretch, until you can get your faith meter up to miracle level and then come back and see me and I'll do something for you. Jesus meets this man right where he is. Man, this past October,

my sister-in-law was 36 weeks pregnant her name's Maggie she's the sweetest little girl ever one night she just the baby she doesn't feel it moving she goes to the doctor the next day and he's passed away and then she has to go and give birth

and I'm with some of my buddies hunting in Kentucky and Gretchen calls me and every deer in Kentucky can hear me wailing because I'm like, why, God? Why? I mean, I cannot. Tell me, understand.

Her and her husband, they love you. They go to church, they serve. All they want to do is be parents. And the most ill-deserving mamas on the planet seem to just crank out babies all the time. And these people that are chasing after you, I believe, but you help me overcome my unbelief. And then we come.

That next Sunday I'm here. I'm sitting right over there in my spot. and the first song that we sing, the words go, you give life. You give breath in our lungs. And I believe that, but in that moment, I'm like, well, God, why didn't you do it that time? Why not with Little Nash? They took pictures of him. It just looked like he needed to just wake up, six pounds, hair.

Just open your eyes, buddy. Have you ever been there? You see, maybe that's where you are right now. Maybe that's where you are right now. when you look around at the circumstances of your life, maybe you would pray what this guy prays, maybe the most honest prayer in the entire Bible. I believe, help my unbelief. God, I trust you, except for this area where I don't.

I need your help. I believe in you, but there's a whole bunch of stuff. I don't want to understand. I have faith in you that you're a good, good father, except for all of this part over here, where I'm struggling, God. See, in this moment, what this guy does is he does not come to Jesus on his own terms. He just brings his true self to Jesus and surrenders it all. He surrenders his belief and his unbelief.

And Jesus receives it. And then here's what he does. And when Jesus saw that the crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying do it, you mutant death spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. and after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse so that most of him said he's dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. This is a precursor Easter.

And when he had entered the house, this disciples asked him privately, check this out. Why couldn't we cast it out? Jesus, you're up on the mountain. We're down in the valley. Why couldn't we cast it out? And Jesus says, this kind can only be driven out by prayer. This guy cannot be driven out by anything but prayer. Church is prayer your first response to your last resort.

See, they're trying to do ministry apart from Jesus. They're just trying to mimic his actions instead of plugging into his power. Essentially is what he's inviting them to. It don't matter where I am, fellas, whether I'm up on the mountain or right here beside you, you can connect to my power at any point through prayer. Let me ask you, if the Holy Spirit left your house, how long would it take for you to find out? I mean, you just operate in your house on tradition and good conservative moral values, or are you plugged in to the power offered to you by the presence of the Spirit of God? You see, I think the point of this whole thing is this, is that God does not reveal himself to us so that we can sit and soak it up on the mountaintop, but so that we can be sent to serve on mission.

What we do in our gatherings, it matters like crazy. It's just not the only thing. thing is to be then demonstrated in every area of your life. And so what we're going to do is we're going to act like followers of Jesus, and we're just going to do what the disciples did in the book. You see, Jesus comes off of that mountain, and he runs into this dad who's in a place of utter desperation, and he lays his hands on this boy, and he prays for this boy, and he cast demons out of this boy. And so the way we're going to close down our services at all locations,

from Bay Meadows to Baker Correctional. If there are any of us here that are like this dad, and you find yourself in serious need, serious need, and this is not the time to compare your circumstances to anybody else. Your circumstances are unique to you, and God loves you. And the Bible says we cast all our cares upon him because he cares for us. The book of James says, is anyone among you sick?

And that could be financially sick. It could be relationally sick. It could be mentally sick. Is anyone among you sick? Let him gather the elders together and pray an anoint with oil. And so I got oil. We got a whole bunch of pastors and staff and elders at all of our locations. And we're going to do what the book says.

Now listen, I grew up Southern Baptist. This is outside of my comfort zone. We didn't do this stuff. We didn't. But I don't care. That's what James 5 says to do it. So I'm just going to do what the book says. says. And we're going to pray for deliverance. We're going to pray for healing. We'll pray to cast

out demons. And I have people say, you believe in demons. Anybody here struggle with an addiction? Anybody addicted to porn, addicted to pills, addicted to a bottle? There's this thing that seems to have control over you. And you've been to meetings, and I'm pro meetings, man. You just keep going to meetings. And you've run some steps, and you try, and you try, and you try. But something on the inside of you seems to take over and lead you down a path that you swore you'd never go down again? What you want to call that? You think that's just chemical? Or do you think there's some darkness that has a grip on you that only the power of the resurrected Jesus that can break it?

You think your marriage problem is you don't communicate well? Some of you are in a marriage and you need Jesus to step up in the middle of that thing and reconcile what you have been unable to reconcile. Some of you have a prodigal son or daughter. You think that their life is just a series of unwise choices, and that's why they're in the pit? Or do you think that there is a demon that is trying to take your son or daughter away from you?

Look, man, this ain't just about wise choices. Our battle is not against flesh and blood. It is against the demonic. It is against darkness. We have an enemy. that wants to take us out and take the ones that are most precious to us out. You want the power of God to step into that place, and I'm going to invite you to come and pray. Some of you, the biggest thing that you're dealing with, the depression that you have, it doesn't make sense.

You wake up in your circumstances tell you, I should be happy about my life, and you just can't make happy turn on on the inside of you. You don't think the enemy is trying to oppress you, or some of you, you hear about, the forgiveness of sin when Jesus on the cross says it is finished. You just don't think it counts for you. You think he forgave you for some of that stuff, but that abortion you don't think he can forgive you. It's because the enemy just keeps whispering, you are condemned.

And I'm telling you, I've seen it before, there's something about when spiritual authority puts that oil on your head and puts that hand on your head. And it's not because of any of that stuff. It's just that because of Jesus' blood, it breaks the power of sin in your life. And therefore now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So listen, if you got your junk together, stay right where you are. Don't get up.

But if you need God to do some serious stuff in your life, you've got some health issues, you got some family issues, you've got some mental issues, whatever it is, man. And you want healing. and if you feel like right now you feel like I believe sort of a little bit but God I need you to help me with my own belief because my own belief is a big long list the way Matthews finishes up this whole event is this the disciple says why can't we cast it out and Jesus said because of your little faith for truly I say to you if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed you will say to

this mountain move from here to there and it will move and no thing will be impossible for you. It's not the size of your fate, it's the object of your faith. You take that little, itty, bitty, tiny, I kind of sort of almost believe faith and you put it in the infinitely powerful resurrected Jesus and it is infinitely more powerful than putting all of your trust in the little G temporary idols of this world. And so at all of our location, Again, from Bay Meadows to Baker Correctional. The band's going to come. I'm going to pray.

Our anointers are going to come forward, and then you just come on. For anybody that finds himself in the place of this dad, and you just come on. And just very quickly, you say, I need you to pray for. My family, my finances, my child, this sickness, whatever it is. And we're going to do what the book says. And we believe, we believe, we believe. There are going to be thousands of people that walk out of people. here today, healthy and healed and whole in Jesus' name and to his glory. So if you would please

stand. Anointers, y'all come on at all of our locations. If you need to be prayed for it, don't even wait until the end of the prayer. You just come on. I think we might be here a minute. Our good and gracious Heavenly Father God, we love you more than anything because you loved us first. God, I thank you for the transparency of this dad in pain. And Jesus, I thank you for the testimony that you meet us right where we are. God, I thank you for the reality that we choose to put our faith in, that if the tomb is empty, anything is possible. So, God, I pray against the spirit of fear. I pray for every man, woman, and student at all of our locations, that if they need you, they would come to you now.

We prayed in Jesus' name. Amen. Won't you come?